What Can I Expect in the First Therapy Session?

In your first session, we’ll get to know each other and explore what brought you to therapy. I will ask several background questions and you will have a chance to share your story. I’ll explain my approach, including confidentiality, expectations, and guidelines of therapy. We will create a personalized plan for you to work towards achieving your therapeutic goals. By the end of this session, if it is a right fit we’ll get you scheduled for your next session, so you leave feeling heard, supported, and hopeful for what is to come.

How long will I need to be in therapy

The length of therapy is different for everyone, shaped by your individual needs and goals. Some people seek short-term support for specific challenges, while others choose longer-term work for deeper growth and self-discovery. In our first sessions, we’ll explore your goals and create a plan tailored just for you, checking in regularly to track progress and make adjustments. The ultimate aim is to help you develop the insight and skills to feel empowered, confident, and capable of eventually managing life on your own.

What is EMDR? What is CBT? What are all these different approaches and what do they do?

**EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy that helps you work through difficult or painful memories so they feel less overwhelming. Using gentle guided eye movements, it can support healing, reduce stress, and help you feel more in control of your emotions.

**CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is a practical approach that helps you understand how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. By learning new ways to think and respond, CBT can help reduce stress, manage anxiety or depression, and build healthier habits for everyday life.

**Solution-Focused Therapy helps you focus on your strengths and what’s working in your life. Together, we identify goals and practical steps to create positive change, building solutions rather than dwelling on problems.

**Polyvagal Theory informs therapy by helping you understand how your nervous system affects your emotions and reactions. Using this approach, we can develop tools to feel safe, calm, and more connected in daily life.

**Somatic Therapy focuses on the connection between your body and mind. By tuning into physical sensations, we can release tension, process emotions, and support healing from stress or trauma.

**Faith-Based Therapy integrates your spiritual or religious beliefs into the therapeutic process. This approach supports emotional growth, resilience, and guidance while honoring your faith and values.

What is a Mental Health Emergency? What should I do in a Mental Health Emergency?

A Mental Health emergency is considered a mental and emotional crisis where you are actively going to hurt yourself or another person because of the emotional struggle you are facing. If this is the case for you please call 911 and emergency services can help you find a hospital facility. You can also call 988 to speak with trained mental health crisis workers that can assist in listening to you and giving you local resources to access to prevent you from hurting yourself or others.

If you are dealing with a Mental Health Emergency please do not call our practice, we are solely outpatient therapy care and we are legally and ethically required to send you to these emergency resources if you call us in a mental health emergency.

How can I pay for sessions?

If you are paying out of pocket we accept debit/credit cards and FSA/FHA cards. You may pay cash for a follow up session as long as there is already a valid debit/credit card on file for you.

If you are paying with IEHP, we understand your cost of session is may be fully covered, but a credit or debit card will be required on file.

Do you accept insurance?

We do accept IEHP clients! Those clients may pay little to nothing for sessions, please give us a call so we can verify your plan and see how much of the cost is covered.